Bjorn Yandel the Barbarian

And there appears the Guardian of the Cracks, Milayel, the Gatekeeper of the Celestial Realm.

I can’t fathom why this guy showed up in a regular field.

But let’s try to summarize what we know about him.

His most distinctive trait is that he uses Numbered Items within the monster theme.

And… “The drop rate for the Verdant Divine Spear is a whopping 3%.”

Although other Numbered Items can drop too, it’s the Verdant Divine Spear, belonging to the Single Numbered Items, that drops with the highest probability.

I remember grinding relentlessly to level up my Spear Barbarian when I was aiming for the Verdant Divine Spear, which is considered the ultimate weapon for spear users.

Anyway, the Essence itself was also of great value.

“Anyway, setting aside the question of why he appeared here.”

As mentioned earlier, if we manage to defeat him, one thing is certain – we’ll get a reward.

Getting the Essence would be a jackpot, and even if the weapon drops, it’s still quite amazing.

However, the problem lies in our current condition.

“We can’t handle this.”

I quickly came to a conclusion.

The guy himself isn’t entirely invincible to our forces.

But the situation is dire.

“First of all, we have to assume that the High Priest can no longer perform his duties…”

Even our main DPS, Eruen, is struggling.

Well, that’s not the only issue.

Fortunately, there haven’t been any casualties yet, but everyone is already quite exhausted…

*Clang! Cough! Clang clang!*

[Roaaar!]

Monsters are still lurking all around us.

In reality, survival is more of a concern than the rewards.

“Yandel, what should we do?”

Amelia asked me with a determined voice.

There was no decision to be made.

“We’ll charge towards the coastline.”

“The coastline…? Oh, you mean run away—.”

“We’ll charge towards the coastline.”

“…….”

We don’t have any other choices.

But… “Let’s do something before that.”

Even if we’re going to run, we must make some decisions beforehand.

It’s not like we can store the 2nd-grade Essence in the inventory.

As much as I’d like to, it’s too risky.

It takes quite some time to store the Essence in the inventory.

In the meantime, the likelihood of an accident is too high.

In other words, it means we have to put it inside someone’s body and then escape…

“Who should we feed it to?”

I was troubled, but I quickly made a decision.

And…

Kwaah-!

As Milayel dashed forward, extending his spear, I blocked it with my shield and shouted.

“Myre Armin!”

Myre Armin, the leader of the Armin Exploration Team.

An unusual adventurer who serves as the clan leader and specializes in the cursed Necromancer class.

Honestly, it kind of pains me to hand over something valuable to a guy who’s a total stranger…

“Take the Essence of the Inmengyo.”

I have to say, he’s the perfect fit for this.

From what I’ve seen, it seems like he recently leveled up and has a spot open for an Essence.

“….Huh?”

“Didn’t you hear me? Hurry! We don’t have much time!”

“Ah, understood!”

The guy, who was acting all cool just a moment ago, finally reacted and rushed forward. Amelia protected him, making sure he reached the Essence safely.

“I-I really… Am I even a companion of the Marquis…?”

Ah, seriously, what is he saying?

As if I’m not already overwhelmed with this guy’s antics.

“It doesn’t matter, just hurry!”

“Yes, sir!”

As soon as I yelled, Myre Armin reached out and absorbed the Essence.

Okay, then, everything we need to take care of here is done…

Confirming that the Essence absorption was completed with a sidelong glance, I pushed Milayel away with all my strength and put some distance between us.

And quickly gave new orders to the members.

“One thing! Prepare for a large-scale move!”

“….”

“From now on, we charge towards the coastline with all our might!”

“Yes…?”

Ah, why can’t they understand my words?

“Let’s escape!”

“Yes, understood! Everyone, get into formation! We’re going to escape with all our strength!”

*Sigh*… This really chips away at the Barbarian Marquis’ dignity.

***

“Hoo, hoo…”

I run, exhaling hot breath.

Of course, this time, I’m not at the forefront but positioned at the very back of the main group.

That’s because the back is the most dangerous place to be when you’re being chased.

“You won’t escape, mortals.”

Just like in-game, the guy always says the same line before a battle, and now he’s saying it in reality too.

The problem is that he keeps repeating the same thing like a parrot, though.

“Ugh, how many times has he said that line already?”

I tried speaking to him a few times while fleeing, but he never responded with anything other than that line. Frankly, I’m not sure if he’s an intelligent being anymore.

“Ah, geez, that village chief’s monsters definitely felt more sentient.”

Come to think of it, the village chief’s village was peculiar.

In fact, most of the monsters had that feeling.

Even the Vampire Duke Camboormiere in the Crimson Castle.

And the Knight of Doom at the White Temple, they all spoke like people, but we couldn’t have a conversation with them.

“Milayel, casting [Recursion].”

It seems that his pre-battle dialogue from the game still holds true in reality.

Ugh, I was just lost in thought.

Whoooooosh-!

As soon as the menacing sound of the spear pierced the air from behind, I turned my body and shielded my upper body.

Kwaaaang-!

Ah, darn it, that darn spear.

Every time I block it, I can feel my shield getting torn to shreds in real-time.

It’s a Single Numbered weapon with applied skills, making it truly deadly, huh?

Well, at least there’s only one skill he uses, so that’s not too bad.

By the way, this phenomenon occurred because Milayel possesses the trait of a “Guardian.”

The Guardians of the cracks have predefined patterns.

They repeat the same actions within a set framework until a specific phase is triggered, like when their HP drops or activating nearby devices.

Maybe if he were an ordinary “Titanus,” I wouldn’t have been able to escape like this.

Of course, that doesn’t mean he’s an easy opponent by any means.

The skill he uses in the first phase is no joke either.

“Milayel, casting [Recursion].”

[Recursion].

An unavoidable judgment with increased damage – a very straightforward thrown skill.

But there’s one troublesome characteristic attached to it.

“Milayel, the Gatekeeper of the Celestial Realm, has retrieved the Verdant Divine Spear.”

Once thrown, no matter how far it goes, the thrown weapon will return to the caster’s hand after a certain time.

And…

“The power of [Recursion] increases slightly until the battle ends.”

You could call it a stacking skill, in a way?

The more this pattern is repeated, the stronger it becomes.

And thanks to that…

Kwaaaaang-!

The shield that blocked the village chief’s sword is now being pierced with holes.

Ha, repairing it here is difficult.

While sighing at my shield turning into a ragged mess, I first checked the situation ahead.

Although I’m at the back of the group, thanks to [Enlargement], which allows me to look down from above, it’s not that hard to survey the front.

“Surprisingly, it’s going well.”

I didn’t wish for the formation to crumble just because I fell behind.

No, I actually expected this outcome.

Yet, somehow, I still feel disheartened.

“Whatever… I should focus on my task.”

A true warrior quietly carries out their duty, regardless of whether others notice or not.

With that in mind, I marked Milayel, who continued with his spear antics, and how much time passed.

“We’re reaching the coast!”

Among the dense trees, a cliff appeared, and as we leaped down, the coastline I saw when I first came to this island came into view.

“Milayel, casting [Recursion].”

Seriously, doesn’t this guy ever get tired?

The spear that turned into light after piercing the shield once again flew menacingly.

Whoosh-!

But somehow, this time, I feel pain radiating from my shoulder.

Even though I properly raised my shield to block it…

“Ah.”

The spear passed through the holes in the shield and went right through my shoulder.

“Yandel, are you alright?”

“Marquis!!”

Ah, damn it…

While clutching my aching belly and bending my back, I glared at the figure standing on the coast.

Yeah, I remember his face quite well…

“Until next time.”

A Barbarian never forgets his enemies, no matter what.

***

Swooooooosh-!

The ship plowed through the shimmering waves.

With this many people on board, the deck was getting cramped, but nobody complained.

Well, there’s nowhere else to sit.

Everyone is satisfied with the current situation, lying around and taking a break. Ah, but among them, a few adventurers had a dark shadow on their faces.

“One casualty…”

During the process of escaping the island, one warrior from the Hext Clan died.

Haa… it’s always warriors who die in situations like this.

As a fellow warrior, it’s inevitable to feel bitter when hearing such news.

“It’s a bit weird to say this, but it’s a miracle. Only one person died.”

“True, it could have been worse. What was the deceased adventurer’s name?”

“Shellyanne Emerthorne.”

As soon as I heard the name, her face popped into my mind.

We didn’t talk much during the mission, but she stood out as a rare female warrior in this industry.

She always had a friendly smile on her face.

“The body?”

“We managed to retrieve it and brought it along.”

“That’s a relief…”

With that conversation concluded, I gathered the adventurers and suggested holding a funeral for the fallen explorer.

No one opposed it, even though everyone was tired and exhausted.

Shwoooosh-!

Of course, a funeral inside a labyrinth, especially on a ship, was simple. We laid a non-flammable cloth on the ground and cremated the body before placing the remains into an urn.

Kwoooong-! Kwajik-! Kwajik-!

During the funeral, monsters periodically fell from the sky. Well, luckily, they were blocked by the protective barrier on the ship and fell into the sea.

Drip.

Like raindrops on a window, the blood embedded in the barrier gathered and dripped down in droplet form.

“Rest in peace.”

“Haha, don’t be too upset. We are all in a precarious situation, you know.”

“Oh, come on, can’t you be a bit more serious?”

Even amidst the solemn atmosphere, light jokes popped up, typical of adventurers facing death.

No one scolded them for their jokes.

Everyone knew that different people cope in different ways.

“It’s over. Take a break, and thank you all for your hard work.”

After the funeral, they resumed their rest once more.

While the magicians couldn’t fully relax due to maintaining the barrier, it was still much better than when they first set up the barrier on the island.

They had modified the magic propulsion device after coming out to sea by connecting it with mana circuits.

“We have enough magic stones, and monsters are not falling as much as expected, so if there are no major issues, we should be able to hold on until the end of the rainy season…”

Now, can I finally breathe a sigh of relief?

As I thought about that, my mind was still complicated. So, I just rummaged through my pocket and took out a makeshift shield.

Naturally, it was a grade-3 shield with much lower performance than the one I used before. At that time, we were short on resources, and I couldn’t believe I’d ever need it.

“But now, that day has come.”

With a mix of self-pity and a smile, someone approached from the side.

“Marquis.”

It was Mule, the head of Armin’s Exploration Corps.

“What’s the matter? Don’t rest, just ask.”

“Excuse me for interrupting your rest. But… I want to ask you something.”

“Go ahead.”

Although I gave my permission, Mule hesitated for a while before speaking.

“Why did you give me the essence of the Incarnate Beast? Why did you give it to me?”

Ah, so that’s why you came.

The answer is quite simple.

First of all, Aina, Amelia, Erwen, and Misha were not candidates.

Their essences were already predetermined.

Versill couldn’t consume an essence as a magician.

“And the only one left would be Auyen…”

In truth, the essence wasn’t suitable for Auyen either.

Using [Imitation] to mimic monsters’ skills and contribute to battles according to the situation might be helpful, but is that all there is to it?

It’s practically throwing away the core of the Incarnate Beast essence.

So, in the end, I chose Mule.

“You can make the best use of that essence.”

“Is… that all?”

Honestly, that’s not the entire truth.

Armin’s Exploration Corps didn’t have an exploration right.

Since they had already prepaid for a grade-2 essence, they wouldn’t be able to voice their opinions when we finally retrieve them later.

But…

“I don’t need to tell him that.”

So, I just shrugged.

“Well, that’s all.”

“But! We will still be your subordinates…”

“How are you still subordinates? You are already comrades.”

“Com… rades…?”

“Yes, but is there a problem?”

After my casual response, Mule, the leader of Armin’s Exploration Corps, remained silent for a while.

“Marquis, you…”

In a hushed voice, he seemed to want to say something, but he shook his head.

“No, I’ll take my leave now. Please rest well.”

Although it was hard to tell, he seemed to have made a firm decision.

***

Six days since the rainy season began.

After escaping the island, the voyage was peaceful.

They continued to slaughter the monsters crawling onto the ship without any issues, even as monsters continuously fell from the sky.

Nevertheless, it was nothing compared to the chaos they experienced when escaping the island.

Anyway, with such peaceful times, there was time to sort out their thoughts and check the plans…

“Alright, I’ve decided.”

I took out a pendant that had been safely stored in my personal space, and Misha, who was beside me, brightened up.

“Hey, Bioren? Is that…?”

“….”

“Is it possible… you want to give it to me?”

What nonsense is she spouting?

She should be longing for it.

Reading greed in her eyes, I quickly put the pendant back into my personal space.

No.7777 Garphas’s Necklace.

Now it’s time to try using it.